There’s something about Mondays that everyone hates. Just look at the endless amount of memes and coffee mug quotes that are dedicated to reminding us of our contempt for Monday.

But what is it really about Monday that we all universally hate? It’s the beginning of a work week.

We celebrate Friday, covet Saturday and Sunday, and absolutely loathe Monday. This is a common human experience. We tend to have a very strong dislike for work.

Now, I’m not one who jumps up and loves going to work everyday. But I think our understanding of work has been warped by our culture and the fallen state of our world. God actually created work to be so much different than what many of us experience on a daily basis.

If we allow the bible to shape our thinking of work, then we might actually enjoy it a bit more.

Here are 4 truths from the bible that will revolutionize how you see your work.

1. We are hardwired to work.

I recently listened to a podcast featuring a compilation of TedTalks addressing human motivations behind work. One of the psychologists, Barry Schwartz, said humans work because we have “an innate need to feel valued, to feel like what [we] do means something even when [certain] jobs might not be what [we] necessarily want.”

The point is that humanity has an intrinsic desire to work. And it isn’t fundamentally tied to financial gain.

The reason we feel this way is because it’s actually how God wired us. He created us to work. In Genesis 1, God created the world and then charged man to fill the earth and subdue it. God called Adam to care for the earth­­—to work. From the very beginning, even before sin, working was always part of the good life.

Work was designed to be something we would enjoy­. It was actually a gift from God.

This view on work may be a little difficult to buy into. Work can be either a burden or even an unhealthy obsession. I wouldn’t need to look far to find someone who says they dislike work.

And that’s because this good and perfect gift has been tainted. Genesis 3 is known as The Fall because that’s when sin entered the world. And from that moment, everything in this good and perfect world God created, including the intrinsic gifts within us, became tainted and distorted. The goodness and enjoyment of work became buried underneath the hardship.

Even though it’s buried, that intrinsic desire within us to work is still there. And that’s not just a Christian belief.

Our longing to create, build, operate, to do something using our own abilities isn’t just a character trait or personality type. It’s a desire and urge that God created within the DNA of every human being.

2. We work because God works. 

The Bible begins with God’s story of creation—with him working. This wasn’t something God had to do, but something he wanted to do. There was beauty, creativity, structure, and joy in God’s work. And even as Jesus was walking on the earth he was actively holding the universe together himself (Colossians 1:16-17).

As image-bearers of God, we work because God works. We share in his delight and enjoyment of work.

This truth really isn’t that difficult to see. Think of something you’ve worked on, labored over for hours. Think about that moment when that project, creation, or task is finally completed. You feel a sense of value and pride in what you’ve accomplished.

This enjoyment of your work starts at a young age. I’ve seen my one year old son’s eyes light up when he successfully stacked four legos together. He labored and toiled to connect his legos into a structure sturdy enough to carry over to me in order to show me his work. It genuinely brought him a sense of joy and pride.

We work because God works. See your work as part of being created in his image.

3. Work is worship.

I’m always blown away by the way God has so carefully interwoven who we are, in order to fulfill the purpose of bringing him glory. To think that our desire to work, which was designed by God, is itself an invitation to glorify him is far more complex and beautiful than my mind can comprehend. It truly reveals God’s care and love, which is so much of who he is.

Even though we’re equipped with the opportunity to use our work as worship unto the Lord, it’s something we have to choose. This is the call of Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not man.” This requires action on our part.

As a follower of Jesus, you should reflect Christ by being the best employee in your workplace. That doesn’t just consist of doing your job well, but also being a good employee. We should be the ones that are on time, the ones who accomplish what’s requested of us whether our supervisor is watching or not, the ones who never contribute to the office gossip. We should work unto the Lord.

When we allow our work to be worship to the God who gifted us with work, it will truly change the way we work. As Martin Luther said, “It’s only by grace that you can truly work to the glory of God.”

The way you see your work changes when you realize that you were wired to work, that God himself works, and that work is worship.

May the grace of God equip you to work every minute, every hour, and every day as unto the Lord. And may your see your work as a true gift from our Creator.

4. Working is the abundant life.

Experiencing joy in work isn’t so much about the job position you fill in order to collect a paycheck each month—or even the size of that paycheck. It’s far more about fulfilling your calling. This is a call that never goes away regardless of how old or young you are. The ways you work will change from season to season, but your work will continue to be a way for you to live out who God created you to be.

When you apply the gifts and talents Jesus has given you, you will live abundantly. You won’t always get paid for these things, but the glory of God is on display when you use what he’s given you.

You have an intrinsic need to work. And it’s not a need that we shouldn’t merely bury beneath the weight of our 9-5 job. See your work as something to exercise with joy in whatever ways you can.